Stephen H. Sachs

Sachs was born in Baltimore City, the son of Shirley (née Blum) and Leon Sachs. Sachs is Jewish.[1] His father taught political science at Johns Hopkins University[2] and was the Executive Director of the Baltimore Jewish Council for 34 years.[3] Sachs was educated at Haverford College (B.A.) and Yale Law School (LL.B.). He was admitted to the bar in 1960.[4]

Sachs was married to Sheila Kleinman Sachs for 58 years until her April 2019 death. She was a divorce attorney and sat on the Baltimore City School Board from 1974 to 1978. Together they had a daughter, a son, and three grandchildren.[5]

Sachs served as Assistant US Attorney (Maryland) from 1961 to 1964. He was appointed United States Attorney for the District of Maryland in 1967,[6] serving until 1970.[7] He prosecuted the Catonsville Nine in 1968.

Sachs returned to private practice in 1970. During Watergate Sachs represented former Acting FBI Director L. Patrick Gray.[8][9]

Sachs was elected the 40th Attorney General of Maryland in 1978[10] and was reelected in 1982.[11] He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1986 Maryland gubernatorial primary[12] with Parren Mitchell as his running mate,[13] losing to eventual general election winner William Donald Schaefer.[14]

Sachs was a partner in the firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (aka WilmerHale) from 1987 until his retirement in 1999.[15] In 1989 and 1990 Sachs represented Dr. Elizabeth Morgan in a well-publicized international child custody case.[16][17] In 1999 Sachs was an attorney representing Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt in the investigation of allegations that Babbitt lied to Congress.[18]

In 2008, Gov. Martin O'Malley appointed Sachs to head an independent review of Maryland State Police infiltration of activist groups that were acting lawfully.[19]